AISB Child Protection Handbook by AISB

Safeguarding handbook 1

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

AISB is commited to safeguarding.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Table of Contents

PURPOSE, SCOPE AND CHILD SAFEGUARDING TEAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Child Safeguarding Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How AISB Communicates about Safeguarding Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Guidelines for Professional Conduct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Personal Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Confidentiality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Honesty and Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Appointment of Supervision of Faculty and Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Interactions with Parents and the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Interactions with Other Members of Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Non-Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

CHILD SAFEGUARDING CODE OF CONDUCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Guidelines for Working with and Safeguarding Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Scope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Transparency as a Core Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Hungarian Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Professional Relationship with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Physical Contact with Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Behavior Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sexual Relationships with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Relationships with Ex-Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Conversations of a Sensitive Nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Contact Outside School and Sharing Personal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Social Media and Online Contact with Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Specific Contexts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Care, Control and Physical Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Students in Distress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Activities Requiring Physical Contact (Including Physical Education and Sports Coaching) . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Toilets, Showers and Changing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 One-to-One Situations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Photography, Videos and Other Creative Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Internet Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Homestays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Field Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sleeping Arrangements on Residentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sharing Concerns and Recording Incidents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Children with Self-Care Needs or Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Early Years Bathrooming Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Visitors to the School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Counselors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Speak-up Policy: Duty to Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Untrue Allegations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Whistle-blower Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

SAFEGUARDING POLICY AND PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Safeguarding Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Safeguarding Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 How are forms of abuse and CP concerns defined? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Handling a disclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Counseling Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Eating Disorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Death in the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Suicidal behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Self-Injury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Procedures for Reporting Suspected Cases of Child Abuse or Neglect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Steps Followed after Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Anti-Bullying Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Responsibilities of Community Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Expectations of staff when observing an incident or suspicious behavior on campus . . . . . . 55 Safeguarding Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Drug Education and Disciplinary Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Disciplinary Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Recruiting Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Virtual Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

CHILD SAFEGUARDING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Child Safeguarding Team (CST). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Designated CS Lead (CSL). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Board Representation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parent Representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Student Representation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meetings and Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Review and Evaluation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recordkeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

66 66 67 67 67 67 67 68

CHILD SAFEGUARDING TRAINING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 RESOURCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Do you have a concern about child safety? Contact a member of the Safeguarding Team (administrator, counselor, director). In the event of an alleged or suspected abuse, the Safeguarding Report form provides needed information. Upon reporting an incident to a member of the Safeguarding Team, the reporting individual should complete the Part 1: Initial Report form and submit it to the Safeguarding Lead.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Purpose, Scope & Safeguarding Team AISB, like all Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) schools, makes child protection a priority. We are committed to safeguarding children through both prevention and intervention. Whilst the UN defines a child as under 18, AISB defines a child as of any age in their care. AISB expects all staff, employees, temporary staff and volunteers to express any concerns they may have with regard to the conduct of individuals on campus. AISB is committed to openness, integrity and accountability, and all persons working for AISB must feel safe and supported to express their concerns. Everyone has a collective responsibility for the safety and well-being of students. This handbook will outline the professional expectations, policies and procedures pertaining to child safeguarding measures at AISB. It includes...

1. Professional code of conduct and guidelines 2. Safeguarding code of conduct and guidelines 3. Reporting procedures 4. Safeguarding policy and procedures 5. Safeguarding roles and responsibilities 6. Reporting, recording and training procedures The current AISB Safeguarding Board Policy Every Student who attends the School has the right to live in a safe and secure environment. With Hungary being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC), this helps guide AISB’s thinking on how children are protected. To ensure this, the School’s curriculum will incorporate information that will instruct the Students in this area as well as encourage them to seek help when appropriate. While it is not the Board’s policy to monitor the conditions under which the Students live, the Board does expect the School Personnel to be vigilant and proactive toward signs of abuse. The Safeguarding Board Designate Role and Responsibilities. The Professional Code of Conduct and supporting guidelines aim to ensure that all AISB employees and volunteers are cognizant of their responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding children. The aim is to protect children and engage the community in a proactive manner. The code of conduct makes clear what behaviors are acceptable. If the code of conduct is broken in any way, AISB reserves the right to a number of consequences, including but not limited to the following: Formal reprimand (on file) Suspension until further investigation Non-renewal of contract Instant dismissal Referral to local authorities If there is a challenge to accusations of consequences, employee can follow the formal grievance procedure as outlined on page 44 in the AISB faculty handbook.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

SAFEGUARDING TEAM The purpose of the Safeguarding Team is to engage individuals in leadership across the organization in order to ensure a collective responsibility for safeguarding. The current individuals comprise the Safeguarding Team: Designated Safeguarding Lead (Middle School Counselor): Felina Heart (fheart@aisb.hu) Deputy Safeguarding Lead (ES Associate Principal): Diane Glawe dglawe@aisb.hu Designated SLT Safeguarding Lead: Magda Gray (mgray@aisb.hu) Hungarian Child Safeguarding Lead: Hajni Vass (hvass@aisb.hu) Head of School: Brett Penny (bpenny@aisb.hu) High School Principal: Graham Maclure (gmaclure@aisb.hu) Middle School Principal: Andrew Ball (aball@aisb.hu) Elementary Principal: Krista Zavits (kzavits@aisb.hu) High School Counselor: Erin Hawken (ehawken@aisb.hu) High School Counselor: Pauline Davidson (pdavidson@aisb.hu) Elementary Counselor: Shawn Edwards (sedwards@aisb.hu) Director of Athletics: Matt Fleming (mfleming@aisb.hu) Director of Activities: Marc Lavoie (mlavoie@aisb.hu) ES Nurse: Aranka Barlay (abarlay@aisb.hu) MS/HS Nurse: Zsofia Cseke (zscseke@aisb.hu) Board Safeguarding Designate: Megan Hallett

HOW AISB COMMUNICATES ABOUT SAFEGUARDING ISSUES Any child safeguarding issue is very personal and emotional for everyone involved. AISB needs to ensure the highest level of confidentiality and will follow a clear set of priorities: 1.

Protect and support alleged victim

2. Ensure no one else is in harm’s way, including other alleged victims, current students and alumni 3. Ensure fair process for the alleged perpetrator 4. Notify the relevant agency and/or law enforcement as necessary and consider including the regional security officer (RSO) or relevant embassy 5. Protect the reputation of the school. The first priority is protecting alleged victims and respecting both their privacy and their families’ privacy, while at the same time working diligently to determine if there are other victims. The purpose of the communication is for others to come forward as well as ensure there is trust in the school’s processes.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

At the same time, AISB must ensure a fair process for the alleged perpetrator. Particularly, we must be within the Hungarian legal requirements while reporting to designated authorities. These include reporting procedures and anti-defamation laws that must be followed. It is important that time be allowed for a complete and full investigation of any reported incidents.

Professional Code of Conduct All AISB contracted employees, non-contracted personnel and volunteers are required to strictly follow the rules and guidelines below as a condition of coaching, directing, substitute teaching, supervising, tutoring or working with students at AISB.

Everyone will: Treat every child with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity and consideration. Use positive reinforcement rather than language that degrades or belittles students. Use language carefully in all professional capacities. Maintain appropriate physical boundaries at all times and touch children only when necessary, only in ways that are appropriate, public and non-sexual. Report all interactions with students outside the regular school day (7:00am-7:00pm). unless the event is announced on the school calendar. Report all suspected child abuse or neglect to a Counselor first. If a counselor is not available, report to a Safeguarding Lead, Divisional Principal , or School Director and cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse or neglect of students. Maintain confidentiality in regards to child protection issues and cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse.

No one will : Touch or speak to a child in a sexual or other inappropriate manner. Intentionally expose a child to embarrassment or disparagement. Give a student tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Accept intimate and elaborate gifts or give private gifts to students without the knowledge of their parents/guardians and Division Administrator. Engage in private communications with students using social media in ways outside professional relations with students. Any communication outside of approved channels must be shared with the Divisional Head.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT PERSONAL STANDARDS Contracted and non-contracted employees are expected to work within the framework of AISB’s Mission, Vision and Values in their dealings with all members of the community. Faculty are professionals and role models: as such, they must have integrity and adhere to high moral and ethical standards. Furthermore, Faculty will seek to avoid any conflict of interests or appearances of conflict of interests in their in-school or out-of-school activities. All employees must model exemplary behavior and conduct themselves in a manner students can copy. Employees must demonstrate high levels of integrity and avoid putting themselves at risk of allegations of abusive or unprofessional conduct. Employees must also be aware that their behavior in and out of school directly impacts the expectations of the community. Employees should not engage in any behavior that could make others question their motives or integrity, or bring the school into disrepute. This could include any actions that could be seen as deliberately unprofessional and includes inappropriate comments in any form of communication, including online media. CONFIDENTIALITY All contracted and non-contracted employees are expected to maintain a high level of confidentiality. This includes not disclosing any information given to them in confidence or any information they believe to be of a confidential nature. The threshold of confidentiality at AISB is met under the GDPR guidelines, and permission must be obtained to share particular information. In regard to safeguarding in particular: all concerns will be treated in confidence, but whistleblowers might be required to give evidence if they have witnessed a crime or in regard to disciplinary procedures. Confidentiality might need to be breached if there is risk of harm to self or others. Anonymous allegations are also investigated as thoroughly as possible, though one aim of this policy is to encourage staff who raise concerns to be identified as part of their professional responsibility. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY Staff are subject to Hungarian Law and AISB expectations as conditions of employment. All staff must comply with written or oral instructions when it comes conducting themselves and fulfilling their duties. Sometimes families wish to pass small tokens of appreciation as a thank you or during a holiday. No staff member should accept any gift or service, however, which might be perceived as compromising his or her professional integrity. Reasonable gifts of appreciation with a value of less than USD 50 from a parent and or member of the community or other group are appropriate. If a staff member is unsure as to the value of any particular gift for these purposes, they should refer the matter to the relevant Principal and, if necessary, the Director. Furthermore, if an adult intends to give a gift to a student(s), they must inform their Divisional Head.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

APPOINTMENT AND SUPERVISION OF FACULTY AND STAFF In an effort to avoid conflicts of interest, staff should not be directly involved in the hiring of friends and family members for contracted or non-contracted positions. Further, an employee should not be involved in decisions concerning promotion, discipline, pay or conditions of employment for a friend or family member. Friends or families are defined as spouse, partner, parent, parent-in-law, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, child of a partner, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or spouse of a partner of any previous person. Partner refers to a couple who live together or have a close personal relationship. INTERACTIONS WITH PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY An essential part of a school’s work includes interactions and contact with parents. It is possible that when dealing with a safeguarding issue high emotions may be involved. Though a high level of professionalism is expected, every individual should feel free to end a meeting or seek assistance if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe during the interaction. Communication with Parents Parent Portals on Veracross will be used to communicate and share announcements that pertain to school programs and activities. As well, articles describing some aspect of the school may be included in the portals. We do not advertise information for or about other organizations. Parent emails and phone numbers are available on Veracross and will be associated with the child’s information page. At AISB, we have committed to return a call or email within two school days, so teachers are asked to make every effort to do this. Any email with information that needs documentation should be sent through Veracross. This will allow for tracking of the email and documentation if needed.

Parent Communication with the School The following explanation of AISB Protocol has been given to parents in the Student-Parent Handbook, so Faculty are asked to familiarize themselves with this process. Over the years, AISB has developed guidelines for what the school believes is the most effective way for a parent to handle a concern or grievance about his or her child’s academic/school program. AISB’s protocol is that the parent should approach the person most closely connected to resolving the concern, which, with most academic issues, is the teacher. Contact can be made at Parent-Teacher Conferences, by letter, email, phone or in face-to-face meetings. AISB’s commitment is to respond to a call/email within two school days. Then, if the parent and the teacher cannot agree upon a resolution, or if the agreed upon actions are not carried out, parents are welcome to bring the issue to the attention of the Principal and then, if necessary, to the Director as a part of this grievance process. This process not only provides the most direct route to resolving a problem, it also opens up the all-important communication channel between parent and teacher.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF AND STUDENTS At AISB, social responsibility is the philosophy and practice of modeling and teaching our students developmentally appropriate skills and behaviors that will lead to responsible decision-making. The following principles are the basis for our interaction with each other and with students: 1. Everyone will demonstrate respect for him/herself, others and our environment. 2. Faculty and administrators will consistently strive to promote, teach and model responsible behavior. 3. We are committed to building positive relationships within the entire AISB community; good person-to person relationships serve as the foundation of a respectful community. 4. We believe that individuals learn responsibility by making choices and actively working to solve problems. It is important to note that interactions with other staff that make them feel uncomfortable, disrespected or harassed are not appropriate. Even what some might consider “low-level” behaviors will be addressed and could warrant disciplinary action. Staff should report behaviors that cause uneasiness or concern, especially if there is a pattern of such behaviors. Staff should report any concern to their direct administrator. If the comments were made by an administrator, they should be reported to the Director. Whistle-blowing policies have been established in effort to protect anyone making a report on a fellow colleague as mentioned above. Each division has developed protocols and strategies based on these principles to work with their students. Policies about suspension and expulsion are outlined in Board, Faculty and Student-Parent Handbooks. NON-AUTHORIZATION All safeguarding concerns are confidential. This helps to ensure that the rights and privacy of all involved parties are respected. Therefore, if approached by media, lawyers, a family, a colleague, etc., it is essential that no statements are made and no information shared.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Child Safeguarding Code of Conduct When accepting a role to work with young people, an individual needs to understand and acknowledge their responsibilities and the inherent trust that comes with that role. All staff at AISB are accountable for the way in which they exercise authority, manage risk, use resources and protect students from harm. All staff, whether paid or unpaid, have a duty to keep students safe and protect them from physical and emotional harm. This duty entails professional and caring relationships, behavior from staff that models integrity, maturity and good judgment, and the proactive reporting of any concerns.

AISB has both a moral and legal responsibility to safeguard the welfare of our students. Safeguarding and Child Protection is a priority for every CEESA school. All CEESA schools uphold the CEESA Safeguarding and Child Protection Statement:

CEESA commits to supporting school environments that safeguard children through both prevention and intervention. CEESA works in cooperation with international agencies to ensure standards associated with best practices are regularly reviewed, revised and applied in all operations, activities and events. CEESA leaders honor and uphold child protection guidelines and procedures, in partnership with all stakeholders in their respective communities. AISB has a further responsibility to provide employees with a safe working environment and provide guidance for safe working practices. If any employee has a concern that safeguarding practices are ineffective or not being followed, that individual should contact a member of the AISB Leadership Team to communicate those concerns. The general minimum safeguarding standards are described in the Professional Code of Conduct, but it is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list; further explanation is given later in this section.

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GUIDELINES FOR WORKING WITH AND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

All AISB staff play a vital role in safeguarding students from abuse and neglect by identifying students who may be vulnerable or at risk of harm, as well as educating them, through a variety of curricular lessons. about managing risk, assuming personal responsibility, seeking help and developing resilience. The Safeguarding Code of Conduct seeks to establish core principles which apply to all who work with students at AISB, regardless of the precise nature of their job. SCOPE In the Safeguarding Code of Conduct, the term staff refers to all school staff, board members, volunteers and other adults working within the AISB community, whether or not they have regular contact with students. The term school means all AISB school sections and school-related activities.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children are defined as follows:

Safeguarding is a broad term describing philosophies, policies, standards, guidelines and procedures to protect children from both intentional and unintentional harm. According to the World Health Organization, child abuse constitutes “all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power”. Safeguarding concerns include suspected, alleged, self-disclosed or witnessed abuse of a student by anyone associated with the school, inside or outside, which must be investigated and followed by appropriate action. Children must be protected from maltreatment. Schools must seek to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development.

Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care Enabling children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully

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TRANSPARENCY AS A CORE PRACTICE It is not possible to provide a comprehensive checklist of what is or is not appropriate behavior in all circumstances. There may be occasions and circumstances in which employees and children must make decisions that contravene AISB guidance or take place where no guidance exists. These are acceptable if such decisions are made in the best interests and welfare of the school and the children in their charge. When this happens, transparency should be the default approach, and the nature of the incident and response should be communicated to the direct administrator and/or school director as soon as possible. HUNGARIAN LEGISLATION The number of the Law is 1997/ XXXI. This law contains very few things about the schools and children. Here is a link to the law in Hungarian: HUN:https://net.jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=99700031.tv AISB will work to have the law translated to English.

PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS Everyone at AISB has the right to be treated with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity and consideration. Teachers should be aware of students’ vulnerability, especially when working alone with them, and should maintain physical, emotional and sexual boundaries in such interactions. PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH CHILDREN A no-touch approach is impractical for most staff, but when physical contact is made with students, it should be in response to their needs at the time, of limited duration, and appropriate to professional role and the age of the child. Physical contact may be misunderstood by a student, parent or observer. Touching students, including well-intentioned informal and formal gestures such as putting a hand on the shoulder or arm, may be misunderstood if repeated regularly. There may be occasions in which a distressed pupil needs comfort and reassurance, which may include physical comforting such as a caring parent would give. Staff should use their discretion in such cases to ensure that what is perceived by others is normal and age appropriate, and does not become unnecessary and unjustified contact, particularly with the same pupil over a period of time. Key Expectations Staff should use their professional judgement at all times about the appropriateness of any physical contact. ●

Staff should always be prepared to explain actions and accept that all physical contact is open to scrutiny.

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Staff should only use physical contact with children in a careful, sensitive, and respectful way appropriate to their role. Staff should not make gratuitous physical contact with students.

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Staff should avoid attributing touching to their teaching style or as a necessary way of relating to children. Staff should never touch a student in a way that may be considered indecent.

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BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT Good behavior is extremely important to the school’s program. In maintaining discipline, teachers must be able to proceed with the assurance that support will be forthcoming from parents, administration, and the Board. The following guides to good discipline are recommended: Good discipline is usually positive rather than negative. Good discipline is fair and dignified. Conferences with Teachers, Principals, Director, and Parents should be used as necessary to bring about acceptable classroom behavior. Corporal punishment will never be used, under any circumstances. SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS Any sexual behavior by a member of staff with or toward a student is both inappropriate and illegal. Students are protected by the same laws as adults in relation to non-consensual sexual behavior. They are additionally protected by specific legal provisions regardless of whether the child or young person consents. There are occasions when adults embark on a course of behavior known as grooming, in which the sole purpose is to gain the trust of a child and manipulate the relationship so sexual abuse can take place. Staff should be aware that conferring special attention and favour upon a child might be construed as grooming. Grooming Process Characteristics: Children are carefully and deliberately selected and befriended. Trust is built with them, which may lead to sexual interactions. Offenders may also build trust with or groom other adults in the community, for example, the principal, director, teachers, other staff members, and parents. Sexual behavior may also include non-contact activities, such as causing children to engage in or watch sexual activity or exposure to pornographic material. It is important to understand that online grooming takes less time and fewer steps.

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Key Expectations Staff must ensure that their relationships with students are appropriate to the age and gender of the students. Staff must take care that their language or conduct does not give rise to comment or speculation about their intentions. This includes seductive speech, innuendo or gestures, as well as physical contact that exploits, abuses or harasses a student. Staff must immediately ensure that a member of the leadership team is informed if they encounter students who display inappropriate attention-seeking behavior, or profess to be attracted to them. Staff must not pursue sexual relationships with children and young people either in or out of school. Staff must not engage in any communication with a child or young person which could be interpreted as sexually suggestive or provocative, including verbal comments, letters, notes, email, phone calls, texts, or physical contact. Relationships with Ex-Students It is important to note that ex-students should be treated with the same respect and guidelines as current students. If you become friends with ex-students on social media, this will open your social media to current students. Further, even though a newly graduated student is “of age” and no longer a student of the school, personal relationships of a sexual nature should not occur. For the first few years after graduation there is still a power dynamic that makes personal connections questionable. AISB’s senior leadership and safeguarding team will work to further clarify policies around relationships with former students.

COMMUNICATION CONVERSATIONS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE Most staff have a pastoral responsibility for children, and in order to fulfil that role effectively there will be occasions when conversations will cover particularly sensitive matters. In these circumstances staff must use their discretion to ensure that, for example, any probing for details or leading questions cannot be misconstrued. All students have a right to be heard, so the first response should always be to acknowledge what a student is saying and support them. Staff should take seriously what students tell them and give students time to express themselves. If in doubt, staff should refer any conversations to a counselor or member of the leadership team. CONTACT OUTSIDE SCHOOL AND SHARING PERSONAL INFORMATION It is understood that staff whose own children attend AISB have a dual role as parents and teachers or employees. In this parenting role, it is natural that staff will have contact with their children’s friends, the children of colleagues outside the school. As parents and individuals, staff will naturally attend social events where students are present. Where there is not such a relationship, staff must be cautious about meetings with students outside school and only make contact with students out of school for professional reasons. Staff should not share their personal contact details with students, including email or home or

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mobile telephone numbers, unless the need to do so is agreed on with senior leadership and parents in connection to their professional role. Adults should ensure that all communications are transparent and open to scrutiny. Staff should also be cautious in their contact with ex-pupils, as there is still a professional relationship, and there may be contact through them with current pupils. Other than in their role as parents, staff should not accept invitations to students’ homes except when the invitation is from a parent and the parent is present. Staff should not invite students to their homes. Any exceptions must be approved by the appropriate section head. Staff should not attend student social events unless these are connected to a school group and have been communicated to a member of the leadership. SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE CONTACT WITH CHILDREN The expectations detailed in the professional code and child safeguarding code apply equally to online activities and carry the same potential consequences. AISB supports the use of media and social media as powerful tools for learning. However, connecting with a child socially via personal social media may confuse students about the role of the teacher. Therefore, teachers should connect with students through approved AISB sites and media for the purposes of supporting learning in the school. Staff should not engage in private communications with students using social media in ways outside professional relationships with students. All communication with students should maintain appropriate adult-child boundaries.

SPECIFIC CONTEXTS CARE, CONTROL AND PHYSICAL INTERVENTION Staff may legitimately intervene to prevent students from injuring themselves or others. Whenever possible, staff should always try to defuse situations before they escalate and send for another adult if there is a concern that a situation will become physical. In all cases in which physical intervention is felt to be necessary, the incident and subsequent actions should be documented and reported in an email to the Safeguarding Lead, Deputy Safeguarding Lead and relevant Counselor. In the rare cases in which physical intervention is used, the aim should be to use minimum force for the shortest period necessary. Such interventions need to be documented and reported. STUDENTS IN DISTRESS Staff should consider the ways in which they comfort a distressed student. There may be occasions when a distressed student needs comfort and reassurance. This may include age-appropriate physical contact. Staff should remain self-aware at all times, in order that their contact not be perceived as threatening, intrusive or subject to misinterpretation. When a member of staff has a particular concern about the need to provide ongoing physical contact of this nature, they should seek further advice from a senior leader. In such cases, a decision must be reached about whether it is appropriate for staff to offer counseling and advice or whether the child should be referred to another member of staff with acknowledged pastoral responsibility for the particular child (i.e., a counselor). ACTIVITIES REQUIRING PHYSICAL CONTACT (Including Physical Education and Sports Coaching) Some staff, such as those who teach PE and games, or who offer music or theatre instruction, will on occasion need to initiate physical contact with students in order for a student to perform a task safely, or to demonstrate the use of a particular piece of equipment/instrument, or to assist them with an exercise. Staff should always explain the reason why contact is necessary and what form that contact will take unless a child’s safety is at immediate risk. This should be done with the student’s agreement and awareness of the student’s level of comfort. Contact under these circumstances should be for the minimum time necessary

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to complete the activity and should take place in a visible environment. Staff must remain sensitive to any discomfort expressed verbally or nonverbally by the student and should consider alternatives when it is anticipated that a student might misinterpret such contact. This could be by involving another member of staff or asking a less vulnerable student to assist in the demonstration. TOILETS, SHOWERS AND CHANGING P.E. Change Room Areas (MS/HS Locker Room) Guidelines

Before 8:00 am, students can use the High School change rooms if necessary. Adults should use the adult change rooms located in the PE hallway. -However, before 8:00 am adults may use the Middle School locker rooms. Additionally, the restrooms or handicap bathrooms in the PE corridor can be utilized as a changing space-one person at a time. Coaches present for training should remind students to use the High School change areas as necessary.

Swimming Pool Change Room Guidelines Students will be required to only use the change room in the pool. These are designated by male/female areas. Additionally, the restrooms or handicap bathrooms in the PE corridor can be utilized by students (one student at a time), not the regular change rooms. Adults should use the MS change rooms prior to 8:00 AM. The coaches present for training will direct students to where they should change. One of the HS or MS coaches must be present for the training and supervision of behavior in the pool area. Coaches will ensure that the student areas in/around the pool or PE area are tidy when done. Younger students should change in the classroom bathrooms or the locker room Wherever possible, staff should only care for an individual of the same sex. However, in certain circumstances this principle may need to be waived where failure to provide appropriate care would result in negligence, for example, female staff supporting boys when no male staff are available.

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P.E. Staff Supervision and Changing Rooms: Staff will need to make a judgement about supervision based on the age and developmental needs of the pupils. Students should know that adults will enter the room if necessary, in response to a disturbance or emergency. In an event of a disturbance or emergency, same gender staff should be the ones to enter the changing rooms. Best practice is two staff members; one enters, the other stands at the door. Before entering the changing room, notice should be given to the students. This will allow students to finish dressing, move to a more secure location, etc. If staff has had to enter the changing rooms, it should be documented on the PE change room log in case any concerns arise. PE staff should establish a code of behavior with students so they are clear about conduct expectations when unsupervised. No cell phones or electronics should be used in the changing rooms. At the start of each semester, P.E. teachers, admin and counselors will meet with students to discuss safeguarding within the change areas. Pupils who express concern about the behavior of a member of staff or other pupils should be listened to, and appropriate enquiries should be conducted by the designated safeguarding lead and director. Pupils who need assistance changing In MS/HS a personalized plan will be developed with parents, student, counselor and P.E. teacher. For ES, please refer to the intimate care policy on page 28. ONE-TO-ONE SITUATIONS Staff must recognize that private meetings with individual children may give rise to concern. While the aim is to never be alone with a child, there will be occasions when a confidential interview or a one-toone meeting is necessary. When possible, such interviews should be conducted in a room with visual access, with a door open, or in a room or area likely to be frequented by other people. When such conditions cannot apply, staff should ensure that another adult knows that the meeting is taking place. The exceptions to this, due to the nature of their roles, are school counselors and nurses. Scheduled meetings with children away from school premises are unusual. In the unlikely event that such a meeting is scheduled, it must only be arranged with the specific approval of the appropriate section head. This also applies in the case of tutoring away from the school. Staff working in one-to-one situations with children and young people are more vulnerable to allegations. Teachers and others should recognize this possibility, and plan and conduct such meetings accordingly. Every attempt should be made to ensure that safety and security needs of both staff and students are met.

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Curriculum At times, areas of the curriculum may include subject matter which is sexually explicit or of an otherwise sensitive nature. Care should be taken to ensure that resource materials cannot be misinterpreted and that they clearly relate to the learning outcomes identified by the lesson or unit plan. The curriculum can sometimes include or lead to unplanned discussion about subject matter of a sexually explicit or otherwise sensitive nature. Responding to students’ questions is a matter of professional judgement, but discussions should always be kept within the context of the intended learning. Staff should avoid introducing or encouraging debate amongst children in class, or elsewhere, that could be construed as having a sexual connotation unnecessary to the context of the lesson or the circumstances.

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOS AND OTHER CREATIVE ARTS The digital media landscape is continually changing and evolving, and adapting standards for the use of student images is thus a significant challenge. If doubts arise as to the purpose, use or appropriateness of digital content, please speak to a Safeguarding Lead. When taking or using photos and other visual media of children, the following should be considered:

The use of images for the school’s publicity purposes should align with the terms of consent granted by parents through the enrollment and re-enrollment processes. Photos taken should be part of a curriculum, for a school activity, for publicity or to celebrate achievement. Staff must be clear about the purpose of the activity and about what happens to the photos when the activity is finished. Be careful taking individual photos of students, as this could be misconstrued. Make sure the learning outcome is obvious. (All above from NIST Handbook) Do not leave student or Faculty/staff personal data unsecured when you are away from your room. Place data in a cupboard/drawer and preferably one that locks. Personal data includes but is not limited to student photos, tests, test results, medical information, all external test scores (e.g. MAP/ERB/CEM etc.), trip financial/payment details, references, report cards, transcripts, athletic stats, student presentations, student essays/reports where student personal opinions are provided. Do not use your cell phone to take pictures of school or student-related activities. Use a school device (e.g. camera, iPad). If school device is not available, a personal device may be used. Pictures must be transferred to a school device by the end of the day and deleted from personal devices. Do not post to social media anything that is school or student related without checking you have permission from the student and the Principal. Use only school-authorized mobile storage devices with encryption if you need to transfer information. Delete this information as soon as its use has been fulfilled.

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INTERNET USE Under no circumstances should adults in the school access inappropriate images. Accessing child pornography or indecent images of children on the Internet, or making, storing or disseminating such material is illegal and, if proven, will invariably lead to the individual being barred from work with children and young people. Using school equipment to access inappropriate or indecent material, including adult pornography, will typically lead to disciplinary action, particularly if as a result students might be exposed to inappropriate or indecent material. HOMESTAYS The homestays form for parents can be found here. Homestays are a typical form of housing for students within the CEESA region for sports and other competitive events. Homestays are generally with AISB families whose students also participate in these activities. Protective Practices for Families Homestay providers offer a family experience and are responsible for providing a level of protection against harm. Families are expected to maintain appropriate behavior in interactions with children/ young people. Their duty of care responsibilities extends also to reporting inappropriate behavior of others towards children/young people.

Homestay parents are expected to... Treat every child with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity and consideration. Use positive reinforcement rather than language that degrades or belittles studentsand exercise care with the use of language in hosting capacities. Maintain appropriate physical boundaries at all times and touch children only when necessary, only in ways that are appropriate, public and non-sexual. Report all suspected child abuse or neglect to a Counselor or a Divisional Principal or School Director and cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse or neglect of students. Maintain confidentiality in regards to child protection issues and cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children.

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Homestay parents will not... Touch or speak to a child in a sexual or other inappropriate manner. Intentionally expose a child to embarrassment or disparagement. Give a student tobacco, alcohol or drugs. Enter a bathroom/bedroom without knocking and being invited in. Accept intimate and elaborate gifts or give private gifts to students without the knowledge of their parents/guardians and school principal. Engage in private communications with students using social media in ways outside the homestay relationship with students. All communication with students should maintain appropriate adult-child boundaries.

Students are expected to... Obey all reasonable instructions given to them by their host parents and their coaches, as if these instructions were given to them by their own parents. This applies to all activities, irrespective of location undertaken during the period of the CEESA sponsored event. Refrain from smoking or using any other use of tobacco, from drinking alcohol and from using drugs. Students involved with CEESA activities may not go to bars or nightclubs. Abide by a 22:00 curfew. Schools and families may set earlier curfew times. Students must be in the home of the host parent by this time. Families may not extend curfew times.

Please note that visiting students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 are not allowed out of the host’s care unless chaperoned by a host parent when they are not at AISB or with their coaches. Neither host families nor students may negotiate changes to the CEESA regulations for students with respect to curfew, housing arrangements, the use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs or any other rules or provisions set forth by the host school. These regulations apply to all students - both those from the host school and those visiting throughout the event’s duration and for visiting students. Violation of these regulations will be reported to the responsible CEESA official and to the student’s chaperones and or/advisor. Students are expected to abide by these guidelines. Please expect the sponsors/chaperones to call the visiting students every night to check in with them, as this is a CEESA expectation and requirement. FIELD TRIPS Field trips are a strong component of our instructional program, and teachers are encouraged to plan and budget for meaningful trips to support their students’ classroom learning. Teachers are asked to obtain approval from the Principal prior to announcing a field trip and use the standard Field Trip Permission Form for any trip off campus.

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Chaperones are always required: in MS and HS at least one adult for every 10 Students, though the ratio may be less in Elementary School. AISB Chaperone Guidelines recognize the need to have a minimum of two chaperones on any school-related event or trip when the number of students exceeds 10 and one adult for every additional 10 students. Final determination of the chaperones needed will depend on the age of the students and the location of the event to be attended. If the group is mixed gender, there should be one male and one female chaperone. Any change to this must receive approval from the Director. Chaperone Selection Criteria All AISB school-related events or trips must be pre-approved. Chaperones assisting with a school-related event or trip will be selected from the division connected with the event or trip. Exceptions will be considered in unusual circumstances. For athletic trips, chaperones will be selected by the AISB Athletic Director in consultation with Division Principals and, when necessary, the Director. For club, group, subject, or grade-level trips, chaperones will be selected by the Division Principals in consultation with the organizers and, when necessary, in consultation with the Director. Chaperone Responsibilities Chaperones, along with the sponsor/coach, will be with students at all times traveling to and from a school-related event. Chaperones will follow faculty guidelines pertaining to school dress code while traveling to and from an event. As a representative of AISB, professional dress is the expectation. Once at the event, whatever is appropriate for the event will be the norm. Chaperones must be at the event venues any time AISB students are expected at the venue. At no time is a chaperone to leave a venue while AISB students are involved in the events. Chaperones must be present during all activities or competitions. This includes morning arrival of student participants and continues throughout the day’s events, and until all host families have picked up attendees and all housing needs have been met. Chaperones are expected to have their telephone on them at all times in order to send/receive calls when necessary. This may either be a school phone or personal phone whose number has been shared with the Athletic Director or Activity Coordinator and Division Office before travel. Chaperones will assist the sponsor with accountability of student attendees throughout the events as determined by the sponsor/coach.

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In the case where student participants are located in two different venues, the sponsor/coach will assign one location for the chaperone to supervise while they supervise the other. In the event of an injury that requires leaving the venue to assist a student, the chaperone will accompany the injured student who needs medical attention while the sponsor provides guidance to the rest of the student attendees. Before departing for the return trip, the chaperone will help the sponsor/coach check that AISB has followed the host guidelines, that students have left nothing behind, and that all personal and school documents are in order. (This especially applies to passports.) Upon returning from a school-related event, chaperones end their responsibilities, but the sponsor/coach must remain with students until transportation has been confirmed or pick-up completed. Chaperones are responsible for handling any infractions of school rules that occur during trips. This can be done in consultation with the Athletic Director or Activity Coordinator first and then the Division Principal as necessary, but it is understood that the chaperone is in the best position to make judgments about the most appropriate way to handle student behavior issues that arise on trips. Supervision expectations for cultural tours and free time excursions:

1. Chaperones should ensure the exchange of phone numbers between students and coaches.

2. If students are allowed to go out unsupervised (e.g., on a mall trip), they should go in a minimum of pairs (or more) with at least one phone for contact for a maximum of two hours.

3. The chaperone should explain clearly where students may be, as well as the boundaries for their free-time activities (e.g., Don’t leave the mall area).

4. A common meeting point should be established for checking in and for meeting when the excursion has finished.

Chaperones should not - under any circumstance - drink alcohol in the presence of or with students and should be responsible at all times, ensuring their ability to carry out all school responsibilities. During events in which parents host students, Coaches/Advisors should remember that they are on duty for the entire time of the event and could be called on 24 hours a day for emergencies or incidents involving students. On occasions when a teacher chaperone has responsibility for students on a 24-hour basis (e.g., Fall Trips, World Language Trips, or MUN trips where there is no host family housing and/ or other adult supervision), they are expected to carry out school responsibilities at all times without impairment. On these trips, chaperones should not consume alcohol at any time so as to properly be able to address any emergencies or incidents involving students. For CEESA events, from the CEESA Board ‘It is the expectation for all CEESA Student activities that school personnel will be able to carry out professional responsibilities at all times, without impairment, thereby excluding the use of alcohol.’ This applies to sponsors, chaperones, coaches and the tournament director. 27

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SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS ON RESIDENTIALS When out-of-school activities include overnight stays, careful consideration must be given to sleeping arrangements. Students, staff and parents should be informed of these arrangements prior to the start of the trip. Sleeping arrangements should be covered by the risk assessment for the trip, and while it is impossible to cover every scenario, many of the guidelines already mentioned apply, including those for changing, showering and one-to-one situations. Chaperones and students should be housed in different rooms. In the rare event that chaperones and students must share rooms, the Director must be informed immediately. SHARING CONCERNS AND RECORDING INCIDENTS Members of staff should feel free to discuss difficulties or problems affecting their relationship with students with their direct administrator so that appropriate support can be provided or action can be taken. All staff should be aware of the school’s child protection procedures, including those for dealing with allegations against other staff. In the event of an incident that may result in an action being misinterpreted and/or an allegation being made against a member of staff, the relevant information should be clearly and promptly recorded and reported to senior leaders. CHILDREN WITH SELF-CARE NEEDS OR PROBLEMS Staff who must assist students with self-care needs or administer first aid should ensure, whenever possible, that other children or adults are present if there is any doubt as to whether necessary physical contact could be misconstrued. Whenever possible, staff who must help children with toileting difficulties should be accompanied by another adult and children should, if possible, be encouraged to change themselves. It is accepted that there will be some situations in which children will present particular problems for staff, and the emphasis will be on what is reasonable in all circumstances. Transparency and communication with another adult as soon as possible is recommended. Where a specific context requires greater clarity, agreements should be created and shared with staff and parents, as with the Early Years Procedures outlined below. EARLY YEARS BATHROOMING PROCEDURES Intimate Care Guidelines Introduction American International School of Budapest (AISB) is committed to ensuring that all staff responsible for the intimate care of children undertake their duties in a professional manner. Staff responsible for the intimate care of children will always undertake their duties in a professional manner. AISB recognizes that there is a need to treat all children with respect when intimate care is given. No child should be attended to in a way that causes distress, embarrassment or pain.

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Definition Intimate care is defined as care given when meeting the toileting and hygiene needs of a child. The scope of this care can range from minimal to full depending on age, development ability or illness. Examples include care associated with toileting, continence, medical procedures or napping as well as assistance and supervisory tasks such as overseeing washing, toileting or changing clothes. Most children carry out intimate care tasks themselves, but some children are unable to do so because of their young age, developmental ability or other special needs. Approach to Best Practice The management of all children with intimate care needs will be carefully planned. The child who requires intimate care will be treated with respect at all times. The child’s welfare and dignity are the top priorities of AISB staff and will be maintained through a high level of privacy, choice and control. To achieve these objectives... AISB staff who provide intimate care are trained in child safeguarding and protection, and best practice in intimate care. Only members of staff will carry out intimate care with children at the school. It is not appropriate to have students or parent helpers carrying out this role. Staff behavior must be open to scrutiny and staff must work in partnership with parents and caregivers to provide continuity of care to children wherever possible. AISB students and staff should have access to clean bathrooms with equipment that is safe and in good working order. There should be a designated staff bathroom and designated student bathrooms. Within the constraints of the country and school, the most suitable equipment and facilities will be provided to assist with children needing special arrangements. The school nurse will be used to support children who need special arrangements. AISB staff will ensure that all normal precautions are taken to avoid infection, such as the use of disposable gloves when appropriate and the proper disposal of waste. In the case of a child with a specific medical or developmental condition that could impact toilet training, advice should be sought by the parents or guardians from a pediatrician. That advice should then be shared with the school to create a toileting plan for the child. Staff will be supported to adapt their practice in relation to the needs of individual children, taking into account developmental changes. Staff will be alert and responsive to each child’s reaction to care and provide appropriate support and reassurance. AISB staff supports each student to achieve the highest level of autonomy that is possible, given their age and abilities. Staff will encourage children to do as much for themselves as they can. This may mean, for example, giving the child responsibility for washing themselves. Individual intimate care plans will be drawn up for particular children as appropriate to suit the circumstances of the child. All children will be taught personal safety skills carefully matched to their level of development and understanding. Each child’s right to privacy will be respected. However, to protect the adult and the child, no adult will be left alone with a child behind a fully closed door when carrying out intimate care procedures. Careful consideration will be given to each child’s situation to determine how many caregivers might need to be present when a child is toileted. Where possible, one child will be catered for by one adult unless there is a sound reason for having more adults present. If this is the case, the reasons will be clearly documented in the child’s intimate care plan. 29

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Whenever possible, staff should only care intimately for an individual of the same sex. However, in certain circumstances this principle may need to be waived where failure to provide appropriate care would result in negligence, for example, female staff supporting boys when no male staff are available. Intimate care arrangements will be discussed with parents and/or guardians during conferences. If an AISB staff member has concerns about any marks, bruises, or injuries on a child’s body, they will immediately report the concern to the counselor. If a child becomes distressed or unhappy about being cared for by a particular member of staff, the matter will be looked into and outcomes recorded. We will contact parents or caregivers at the earliest opportunity in order to reach a resolution. Staffing schedules will be altered until the issues are resolved so that the child’s needs remain paramount. If a child makes an allegation against a member of staff, we will follow the reporting guidelines in the AISB Safeguarding Handbook. All AISB staff who provide intimate care for children and young people will be required to confirm that they have read and agreed to the “Intimate Care Guidelines”. Early Childhood Intimate Care It is important that toilet training in Early Childhood is identified as intimate care. Early Childhood teachers and staff should... Create a written toileting schedule for the early years students that includes the daily schedule of toilet visits (after snack, before lunchtime, before naptime, etc.). -Include the names of staff members who will assist the students with toileting. -Do not force children to use the toilet if they do not feel the need, but encourage them to listen to their bodies. Review intimate care arrangements that have been agreed upon with a parent annually (Parent Letter). When intimate care is required, report the duty of intimate care to another member of staff and record on an agreed-upon chart. (See Intimate Care Record Sheet for sample chart).

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Parents, staff, and children should all understand that when the child has an accident, it is not a problem, and the child should not be made to feel that way. Parents should be informed and agree to the following guidelines. To help your child gain toilet independence... Children in the Multiage (MA) class are expected to come to school wearing underwear (no diaper/pullup), including during nap time, and provide changes of clothing as needed. -It is the goal that 3–4-year-old children show toilet independence (few to no accidents) within the first month(s) of attendance. Children in the Kindergarten (Kindy) class are expected to come to school with underwear and provide changes of clothing as needed. Teachers and AT’s will help children clean themselves and change their clothes if a toilet accident occurs. Teachers and AT’s will regularly take children to the toilet to encourage a toilet routine. In addition, children can go to the toilet as needed. Parents agree to actively support toilet training at home, including during school holidays. Teachers will give parents regular feedback on their child’s toilet training progress on the progress report and in the message book (for children who are not yet independent). If a child is having particular trouble in toilet training, the teacher and parent will agree on a support plan to follow, including a timeline. Procedure for Helping a Child Change Clothes Ascertain the child has had an accident. Offer to help the child to change their clothes and make themselves clean. Seek out a second adult to provide support if necessary, or inform another adult you are going to help the child to change. Ensure all changing equipment and resources are ready. Take the child to the designated changing area (usually the toilets) and establish that the child is happy and comfortable being changed by talking to the child throughout and telling them what you are about to do before each step. Reassure the child and make changing an enjoyable time from beginning to end by chatting and/or singing. If possible, wear disposable gloves. Please note, the use of disposable gloves is not a substitute for good hand hygiene and hands must still be washed at the start and end of the procedure.

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Encourage the child to undress independently when possible. If adult help is needed, the adult is to remove only the clothes required to reach soiled underpants unless further soiling has occurred, and the child needs to be changed fully. Soiled clothing should be placed in a bag to be sent home with the child. If possible, instruct the child to clean themselves with disposable wipes and help as necessary, or if the child is not able to clean themselves do it for them. Help the child get dressed or encourage the child to dress in clean clothes if they may do so independently. Place dirty clothes in a plastic bag to be given to parents or caregivers when the child is picked up at the end of the day. Staff members will not attempt to wash or rinse the clothes. Oversee the child’s handwashing. Record completed intimate care procedures on the Intimate Care Record Sheet and sign, detailing the procedure carried out and any additional notes, for example if a child was upset or a rash was present. Inform the parent or caregiver of the need to carry out intimate care at the end of the school day. Class teachers should consider creating an individual healthcare plan for children who require regular changing. This should be written by parents/caregivers and staff and signed by both.

Bathroom emergencies during bus transportation Bathroom expectations

VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL AISB is not a public area, so all visitors to the school must pass through security and are expected to adhere to the school’s visiting procedures. The term visitors refers to local or foreign individuals, suppliers, contractors, workers, and individuals or groups who rent the school’s premises for any activities. Parents, nannies, teachers and staff are not considered visitors, as they are identifiable by their ID badges. Specific guidance provided for visitors on campus includes the following:

1. Only prescheduled visitors can enter the campus. Security should be informed in advance via email, calendar note, etc. of any visitors to campus.

2. On arrival visitors must identify themselves by ID/Passport. They will then will receive an AISB visitor pass that will be used to enter the gate and entrances.

3. Visitors must wear the visitor badge at all times while on school premises. 4. Visitors can use only bathrooms designed for adults.

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5. Visitors are not allowed to socialize with students unless they are entering the school in a capacity where this is expected (e.g., an educational visitor or a relative of an existing student). In this case the expectations around safeguarding apply to them in the same way as to a member of staff.

6. Visitors should not take any contact details of any students. Including but not limited to phone number, email, social media, etc.

7. Visitors must not take photos of students unless given explicit prior permission by a school leader. 8. Visitors must not bring in any weapons, alcohol, drugs and other illegal items into school. 9. Visitors should not loiter around campus and, once they have completed the purpose for entering, should leave the premises. Security The following information needs to be sent to the Security Officer two days before the event.

1. List of the participants • If they’re AISB students: Veracross IDs and/or the link of the Veracross student group. • If the visitors are from another institute, the names of the adults.

2. The exact time and place of the event 3. Specific information, depending on the nature of the event (e.g. fire alarm sensors in certain areas need to be switched off; how and when the participants will arrive - by bus, by taxi, separately or together etc.; do other gates need to be open? are extra guards needed? do any of the participants need to use the elevator?, etc.)

4. The names and phone numbers of the organisers.

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COUNSELORS AISB counselors are often in a sensitive position in relation to child safeguarding, for two reasons. First, counselors are designated focal points and highly likely to be in a position in which issues of child safeguarding are revealed to them by a student, parent or member of staff. Second, due to the nature of counseling, school counselors are more likely to be in one-to-one situations with students who may be emotionally vulnerable. Therefore, in the case of counseling, the principle of transparency is a primary consideration. Should the counselor feel that a situation or best-required course of action involving a student is contrary in any way to these guidelines, they should explain the situation to a colleague and, when time allows, to a safeguarding lead and/or divisional principal. For example, this might include giving a student the counselor’s personal telephone number or visiting a student’s home if there is a concern about the student’s well-being.

SPEAK-UP POLICY: DUTY TO REPORT What should you do if you suspect a child is being abused? The school’s duty-to-report process allows staff to express their concerns without fear of victimization or disadvantage. It is intended to encourage and enable staff to raise concerns within the school rather than overlook a problem or take it outside of the organization. In such cases staff must follow the AISB child protection procedures. All School Personnel (especially those with direct student contact) are well placed to observe and report outward signs of abuse. Care must be taken as such signs can only be a cause for suspicion and are not, in themselves, proof that abuse has occurred. Unexplained changes in behavior or school performance may indicate abuse. Inadequate clothing, poor growth, or apparently deficient nutrition may indicate physical neglect, while attention seeking or excessive dependence may point to emotional neglect. School personnel will encourage students to report abuse. In School Follow-up After Identification These steps should be followed after identification of a suspected abuse:

Identifying teachers must report the suspected abuse immidiately to the Counselor, who is required to inform the respective Principal. Assuming the Counselor concurs that a suspected physical abuse situation exists, the Counselor will notify the Nurse, who will interview and examine the student. Student examination can only occur after parent consent is received. Parents should also be provided the opportunity to be present when the examination takes place. The student can also request the presence of his or her parents at any medical examination.

If the parents refuse to cooperate and will not allow the medical examination (or there is a concern or expectation that the consent will be refused) then, instead of the school’s investigation continuing, the school should turn directly towards the Child Protection Authority and inform them of the circumstances. Following a successful examination, a written report will be prepared by the Counselor and Nurse and sent to the respective Principal and the Director.

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UNTRUE ALLEGATIONS If staff raise a concern in good faith that is not confirmed by an investigation, no prejudice or action will be taken. If a concern is raised maliciously, disciplinary action may result.

WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY AISB, like all CEESA (Central and Eastern European Schools Association) schools, makes child protection a priority. We are committed to safeguarding children through both prevention and intervention. AISB expects all staff, employees, temporary staff or volunteers to express any concerns they may have with regard to the conduct of any individual(s) on campus. AISB is committed to openness, integrity and accountability. All persons working for AISB must feel safe and supported to express their concerns. The aims of the whistle-blowing policy are to... Encourage adults to feel confident raising concerns about safeguarding Provide a process by which concerns can be raised Provide a means of support for staff where concerns have been raised.

The policy is designed to address concerns that staff have about the conduct of individuals in a position of trust within the organization, if such conduct could be detrimental to the safety or well-being of young people and if, for whatever reason, staff feel unable to raise these concerns. These could include... Unprofessional behavior Bullying by staff Personal contact with children and young people contrary to AISB’s Safeguarding agreement Inappropriate sexualized behavior Knowledge about an individual’s personal circumstances that indicate they could be a risk to children or unsuitable to work with children Please note that these are examples and not an exhaustive list. Confidentiality: All concerns will be treated in confidence. There could, however, be a need for a whistle-blower to give evidence if a crime has been witnessed or in regard to disciplinary procedures, if that is the outcome. Anonymous allegations are also investigated as thoroughly as possible, though one aim of this policy is to encourage staff who raise concerns to be identified, as part of their professional responsibility. Process for Raising a Concern: Under standard procedures, concerns about an adult working with children would normally be raised through the AISB Child Protection process, by informing a counselor and divisional principal or the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Felina Heart +36 20 268 3865 35

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If the Principal, counselor or Child Safeguarding Lead are the subject of concern, or if staff feel that following the standard reporting procedures would jeopardize their position at AISB, the whistle-blowing policy can be implemented. Staff can report their concerns to the Director or Chair of the Board if the Director is the subject of concern. When following the whistle-blowing policy, concerns may be shared verbally but should also be shared in writing (whistle-blowing report form). Staff can invite a representative of their choice to be present during any subsequent interviews. The representative is bound by the same confidentiality expectations as the reporter and the person receiving the report. Process: The Director or Chair of the Board will conduct an enquiry to determine if grounds exist to contact Child Protective Services. The Director/Chair does not investigate - that is the role of the police or Child Services - but they may make enquiries to determine if the subject of the enquiry is an appropriate person to work at school. Formal investigations are handled by the police or child services. If the concern is not related to child safeguarding, the Director or Board Chair will investigate, engage the disciplinary process if appropriate and review policies, processes or procedures if issues arise during the investigation. The person making the report can expect a written response within 10 days acknowledging the concern has been received, advising when further investigations will take place, or advising that no further action has taken place and why.

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Child Protection Policy and Procedures CHILD PROTECTION POLICY Responsibility of Care AISB teachers and administrators have a responsibility to protect children and to act as their advocates in cases of suspected child abuse. In all decisions, the protection and safety of the child will remain the foremost concern. All AISB teachers, assistant teachers and other support staff who work directly with children are required to report suspected physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse to the respective division counselor or principal. In response to suspected abuse, the school will take all reasonable, responsible and legal steps to protect the child and will also provide support and counseling for the child and their family. Child abuse and neglect are of growing concern in schools throughout the world. They are violations of a child’s human rights and obstacles to the child’s educational, physical, emotional and spiritual development. Schools fill a special institutional role in society as protectors of children and must ensure that all children in their care are afforded a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop. Educators have the opportunity to observe and interact with children over time and are thus in a unique position to identify children who need help and protection. As such, they have a professional and ethical obligation to identify children in need of help and protection and to take steps to ensure that the child and family avail themselves of the services needed to remedy any situation that constitutes child abuse or neglect. AISB, in keeping with our core mission, vision and values, has adopted a child protection protocol to guide our staff and families in matters related to the health, safety and care of children attending our school. We endorse the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), of which Hungary is a signatory, and seek to be a safe haven for children who may be experiencing abuse or neglect in any aspect of their lives.

Two key articles from the CRC: CRC Article 19: Protection from abuse and neglect The State shall protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victims. CRC Article 34: Sexual exploitation The State shall protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse, including prostitution and involvement in pornography.

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We have also consulted the International Task Force on Safeguarding documents. These include 24 essential questions for schools and recommendations for helping schools establish common child protection standards. Further, the CEESA counselors have taken information from the International Task Force on Safeguarding and created an easy to use checklist to help guide CEESA schools. We also have an obligation to ensure that we are meeting child protection standards as set forth by accreditation agencies such as the Council of International Schools. All staff employed at AISB must report suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect whenever there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering, abuse or neglect. Reporting and follow-up of all suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with administrative regulations respective to this protocol. Further, cases of suspected child abuse or neglect may be reported to the appropriate employer, to the respective consulate in Hungary, to the appropriate child protection agency in the home country and/or to local authorities. In enrolling a child at AISB, parents agree to work in partnership with the school and abide by the protocols adopted by AISB. Our community genuinely values our partnership with parents in providing for the safety and care of all children. It is for this reason that AISB endorses a safeguarding protocol that defines the standards through which all AISB children should be treated with respect and dignity at all times. As part of our overall educational programs and specific to our shared responsibility to educate children, to protect them, and to learn and grow in a safe environment, AISB...

provides age-appropriate lessons to help children understand personal safety, needs and rights provides parents with materials to help them better understand our programs and protocols annually trains all staff to recognize and report issues of abuse and neglect and makes every effort to implement hiring practices to ensure the safety of children.

We work together with parents to ensure that our children are safe and are knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities to themselves and to each other, so that they can grow and learn free of fear in a safe and supportive environment.

How are Abuse and Neglect Defined? Definitions of abuse are complex and can differ across cultures according to their child-rearing behaviors, gender and role responsibilities and expectations. The primary determination of abuse is that it is dependent on some form of a relationship used to meet the needs of the more powerful person, typically a member of the family, a teacher or a friend. Research guides many of the definitions that are based in understanding the impact of certain behaviors.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

TERMINOLOGY

DEFINITION

SIGNS •

Causing intentional physical harm to a child, which can include:

•

• PHYSICAL ABUSE

•

Hitting, biting, pushing, fighting, strangling, slapping and other acts that cause pain and bodily harm Creating substantial risk of physical harm to a child and their bodily functioning Committing acts that are cruel and inhumane regardless of observable injury. These can include but are not limited to instances of extreme discipline, demonstrating a disregard of a child’s pain and/or mental suffering

• • •

•

• •

•

• •

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

The persistent emotional ill treatment of a child so as to cause severe and adverse effects on a child’s emotional development..

• • •

• • • •

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Excuses for their origin don’t match injury Lack of needed medical attention Chronic stomach pains or UTIs Covering up body -even in hot weater Refusal to discuss injuries Fear of parents being contacted regarding injuries Self-destructive tendencies, such as self-harm/cutting Chronic running away from home Aggressive behavior towards others

Physical, mental and emotional development is delayed Highly anxious / low selfesteem Sudden appearance of speech disorder/ underachievement Fear of new situations Compulsions / obsessions / phobias Inappropriate emotional responses to painful situations Extremes of passivity or aggression Drug or alcohol abuse Chronic running away Lying

The persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or physiological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of the child’s health or development.

• NEGLECT

•

Physical Neglect-not providing physical needs, food, water, shelter Emotional Neglect-not providing basic love and care that results in emotional distress Educational Neglect-not providing supervision, access to education or appropriate awareness of the child’s educational needs.

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• • • • • • • • • •

•

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual Exploitation: Actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another

• • • •

• •

SELF-HARM

Intentional, direct injury of body tissue without suicidal intent. Includes but is not limited to cutting, scratching, burning, carving words or symbols on the skin, picking fights, eating disorders.

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Basic needs unattended dress/hygiene/nutrition/ attendance Lack of supervision Fatigue or listlessness Self-destructive behaviors Extreme loneliness - inability to connect with peers Extreme need for affection Low self-esteem Compulsive stealing Drug or alcohol abuse Excessive absences Not responding to school communication Pain or irritation to the genital area/stomach with walking or sitting UTIs or other unexplainable injuries Fear of people or places Regressive behaviors, bedwetting or stranger anxiety Age-inappropriate sexual discussion or provocative behavior STD’s Being unusually quiet and withdrawn or unusually aggressive Showing fear or distrust of a particular adult A “secret” friendship with an adult or another young person

Unexplained cuts, burns, injuries, scars Wearing long sleeves and long pants in hot weather Depression, anxiety, instability +Statements of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness

Include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. They can result in serious physical and mental problems with life- threatening consequences. Two main types are these:

EATING DISORDERS

Anorexia Nervosa, which entails deliberate self-starvation and refusal to maintain body weight at or above normal weight, intense fear of gaining weight, distorted perception of one’s body, absence of at least three consecutive periods (female). Bulimia Nervosa, which includes recurrent episodes of binge eating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or some form of purging as a means of controlling weight. (e.g.. Vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, fasting, excessive exercise.)

Physical: • Sudden weight loss, gain or fluctuation in a short period of time • Feeling faint or dizzy • Sensitive to temperature;feeling cold • Blue hands/feet • Dry hair or skin • Dehydration • Fine body hair over face • Abdominal Pains • Decreased concentration Emotional: • Change in attitude/ performance • Mood affected by thoughts of appearance;constant comparison to others • Refers to self as fat, gross, ugly • Appears sad, depressed or anxious • Expresses feelings of worthlessness • Obsessed with maintaining low weight Behavioral: • Pretends to eat, then throws food away/skips meals • Exercises for long periods • Makes frequent trips to the bathroom • Fatigues easily • Avoids cafeteria/canteen • Wears baggy clothes and/or many layers • Increased isolation • Increased impatience or crankiness • Secretive eating habits

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• •

SUICIDAL IDEATION

Thoughts about how to kill oneself, concerns or preoccupation with suicide.

• • • •

Talks about death or suicide Statements of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness Loss of interest Giving away one’s possessions Losing interest in things they used to care about Visiting, calling people to say goodbye

*** Signs and symptoms are not exhaustive lists. Also, if some signs are visible, they do not necessarily equate to abuse. Any concerns or worries please report to your Division Counselor, Safeguarding Lead, or Administrator immediately. Peer to Peer Abuse Students are more likely to face peer to peer abuse than they are adult to child abuse. Peer abuse includes bullying, prejudice-based harm, physical violence, sexual harassment and violence, dating violence, hazing violence and radicalization.

TERMINOLOGY

BULLYING

DATING VIOLENCE

HAZING VIOLENCE

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

DEFINITION

Discussed in detail below.

The perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member in the context of dating or courtship.

Any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.

When a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking or using another type of physical force

PREJUDICE-BASED HARM

RADICALIZATION

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE

Any offense perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s real or perceived disability, race, religion or gender identity.

A phased and complex process in which an individual or a group embraces a radical ideology or belief that accepts, uses or condones violence, including acts of terrorism, to reach a specific political or ideological purpose.

Any unwanted sexual act or activity. This may include but is not limited to rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. It can be psychological and/or physical.

SIGNS

•

Failing to attend school, disengaging from classes or struggling to carry out school-related tasks to the standard ordinarily expected • Physical injuries • Experiencing difficulties with mental health and/or emotional well-being • Becoming withdrawn and/or shy • Experiencing headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and/or panic attacks • Suffering from nightmares, lack of sleep or sleeping too much • Broader changes in behavior, including alcohol or substance misuse • Changes in appearance and/or starting to act in ways not appropriate for the child’s age • Abusive behavior towards others. taken from the Farrer Peer on Peer abuse toolkit Exhibiting these signs does not necessarily indicate that a child is experiencing peer on peer abuse. However, behaviors still need to be reported so it can be determined the student’s situation and the course of action to be taken.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Bullying is ongoing direct or indirect physical or psychological intimidation that typically occurs to create a pattern of harassment and abuse.

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using digital devices such as computers, tablets, phones, etc. Cyberbullying most commonly occurs in... Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices Instant messagi@ng, direct messaging, and online chatting Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit Email Online gaming communities

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

TYPES OF BULLYING

DIRECT EXAMPLES

INDIRECT EXAMPLES

• VERBAL ABUSE

• • •

Verbal insults Racial/ethnic insults Harassment

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• SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL BULLYING

PHYSICAL BULLYING

• •

Using guilt: “You won’t be my friend if…” Manipulation Being unfriendly Forming tight groups/cliques against someone

• • • •

Striking or hitting Throwing objects Using objects as weapons Removing and hiding belongings

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Making statements, threats, or revealing information about a person through social media, texts, etc. Setting up fake accounts to spread negative information

ONLINE BULLYING •

• • •

Persuading others to criticize or insult someone Spreading malicious or untrue rumours Anonymous phone calls, emails or text messages Threatening words and obscene gestures

Deliberately turning away or averting one’s gaze to ignore someone Rolling eyes Persuading people to exclude someone

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Persuading another person to assault someone

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Excluding persons from groups or chats Trolling trying to upset people through indirect comments

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Peer on Peer would follow the same reporting procedure as adult on child abuse. Disclosures would be handled in the same way as well.

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HANDLING A DISCLOSURE Children can disclose abuse at any time, while it is ongoing, immediately after, or years later. Many children do not disclose abuse during childhood for fear of the consequences or fear they won’t be believed. The initial, informal disclosure is important and may help with trust and any future investigation. Once children have disclosed to one adult, they are more likely to cooperate with other adults and the investigation. In short, you want to receive what is being said; reassure the child as far as honesty and reliability permit; react by listening and following the guidelines below; record notes in as much detail as you can after the disclosure focusing on the child’s statements and observable things; report to the Divisional Principal and Counselor, or Safeguarding Leads.

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DOs

DON’Ts

Respect the enormity of what the young person is sharing

Don’t stop the young person from talking

Listen and show care

Don’t act scared or shocked

Ask open-ended questions

Don’t ask leading or yes/no type questions or interview others.

Repeat the last few words in a questioning manner Say, “I’m glad you told me”

Be patient

Things NOT to say: • No, I’m sure you misunderstood • I won’t tell anyone else • Why? How? When? Where? Who?

Don’t doubt what they are saying

Write down what you’ve heard in the child’s words, where possible Note what you have seen and heard - and make certain you distinguish between what the child says and your inferences

Don’t promise that everything will be ok

Tell the student what you’ll do next

Don’t seek help while the child is talking to you

Speak with a Counselor and Divisional Principal or Designated Safeguarding Lead (Felina Heart +36 20 268 3865)

Don’t make assumptions, offer alternative explanations or diminish the seriousness of the alleged behavior

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AISB COUNSELING RESPONSE PROTOCOLS Counselors deal with each situation based on developmentally appropriate responses. In all cases, we value a team approach with families to best support the students’ needs. Counselors have developed a list of resources available in Budapest and online for referral purposes.

EATING DISORDERS Most often, children with eating disorders are referred by staff members who have observed signs and symptoms. Once a referral is made the following occurs:

The counselor will make contact with the student to discuss concerns about eating disorders. As appropriate, Middle and High School Counselors will negotiate an agreement with the student to enable open communication with parents/families. Students are given 24 hours to speak with their parents. After 24 hours the counselor will make initial contact with the parents, unless an emergency situation (i.e,. student passed out, etc.) requires that contact be made immediately. Elementary Counselors will contact the parents immediately about an eating disorder. As needed, the counselor will provide the student and parents with outside medical, counseling and nutritionist referrals. The counselor will be available as the school resource for the student’s support/counseling and to coordinate communication between family, outside agencies and school staff.

For students in inpatient care: The counselor will meet with the student and parents before the student returns to school to discuss support needed. The counselor will work with outside agencies (treatment team) and members of the school staff to ensure that the reintegration plan takes the student’s medical, psychological and academic needs into account. Upon re-entry, the student may need supportive counseling, medical monitoring, release from physical education classes, alternative assignments and/or meal monitoring. The counselor will continue to maintain ongoing communication between family, outside agencies (treatment team) and school staff.

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DEATH IN A COMMUNITY Please see crisis documents for the full AISB student death protocol. The counseling and support staff should take responsibility for gathering information about student and staff reaction to the death and facilitate individual and/or grief group supportsessions throughout the day. Protocol Implementation

Attend the AM staff meeting. As members of the Crisis Response Team: a. Identify and make contact with school staff acquainted with the deceased student and possibly in need of extra support. (e.g., a teacher who has had a special relationship with the student, had the student in class, or has a sibling in class.)

b. Provide in-class assistance when requested by teachers.

Start a master list of high-risk students in need of extra support. These include close friends of the deceased student, relatives, students in the same activities or clubs as the deceased student, neighbors of the deceased student, and students with other stressors. The Counselors, Principal, and Associate Principal should meet briefly with all identified high-risk students and with any students who are referred. Decide what, if any, intervention is appropriate (triage). Options could include...

a. Individual grief counseling b. Grief group. The grief group should automatically be formed the first day,and students should stream in and out during the day. The focus is on memories of the deceased student and grief work. Typically, students will be in grief group for only one or two periods and not all day. For students requiring “excessive” intervention, parents need to be informed and directed to appropriate community resources.

c. Referral to appropriate community resources.

Identify students absent during the day who may be high risk; contact parents with your concern for them. This may include non-school attendees and students who may have dropped out or transferred.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

For students who request to leave school because of their grief reaction:

a. Release students to parents or an adult designated by the parent. Encourage the parent not to leave the child alone during the day. b. Provide parents with guidelines on how to manage grief and a brief listing of community resources. (See Appendix D) c. Let the student know you expect him/her to return to school the next day. d. Check to see if the students return the next day and briefly see how they are doing. If a student has not returned, contact their parents to see how they are doing. Offer your assistance to the parents and/or student.

Attend the after-school staff meeting. At the end of the first day, the Crisis Response Team should meet to update themselves and review the list of high-risk students. Throughout the week, review the status of high- risk students with the master list. Determine which students may need to be referred to receive additional support based on their previous history and immediate need. Discuss the role the guidance and staff will provide in the funeral or memorial service. After the funeral, assist the building staff in moving toward a “normal” atmosphere as soon as possible. (An announcement will be made by the Principal regarding continued availability of guidance staff ). Carefully review with the Principal and other Crisis Response Team members the memorial requests for the deceased student. In a week or two following the crisis, meet as a team and discuss the response activities, including procedures which may need to be modified.

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SELF INJURY AND SUICIDAL IDEATION: In all cases, the counselor meets with the student and does a suicide risk assessment to determine if there is a risk of suicide and if the risk is low, medium, or high. Self-Injury

The AISB medical staff looks at wounds, identifies the degree of physical harm/risk, and provides a brief written description and photographs to the counselor. The counselor contacts parents for a meeting that day with the counselor, parents and the student. The counselor provides the family with a list of outside therapists, preferably within one or two weeks of the parent meeting; parents sign an agreement that the school counselor will have access to those records. Parents must provide confirmation that they are working with a medical doctor if there are severe injuries.

SUICIDAL IDEATION / ATTEMPT

Based on level determined in the risk assessment, the following procedures are used:

NO RISK

The counselor meets with the student to follow up.

LOW/MEDIUM RISK The counselor immediately arranges a meeting with the parents and the student to discuss issues and concerns. The counselor provides the family with a list of outside therapists as needed. Parents give written permission for the PSI counselor to have access to the outside therapist, evaluations, etc. The counselor communicates to the appropriate teachers and support staff without specific details, stating only that the student is experiencing difficulties, should be monitored and has permission to visit the counselor upon request.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

MEDIUM/HIGH RISK The counselor immediately arranges a meeting with the parents and the student to discuss issues and concerns. The counselor assists the family in immediately contacting an outside counselor or emergency center for psychiatric evaluation. Parents take the student home until the evaluation is completed. Parents give permission for the school counselor to have access to the psychological evaluation. Parents also allow communication between the school counselor and any mental health providers who work with the child after the initial evaluation. Parents must bring verification of the psychological evaluation before the child can return to school. The counselor communicates to the appropriate teachers and support staff providing specific details only as needed, stating only that the student is experiencing difficulties, should be monitored and has permission to visit the counselor upon request.

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT Steps Followed After Disclosure

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

ANTI-BULLYING STATEMENT 5.2.3 Bullying board policy The School strives to provide a safe, inclusive, supportive and orderly learning environment. Bullying, including cyber bullying, harassment and violence, is not acceptable and will be dealt with expeditiously. Procedures and consequences are outlined in the Division Handbooks. Elementary Handbook Middle School Handbook High School Handbook Why Is It Important to Respond to Bullying? Harassment and bullying are serious actions that threaten the safety of our school community. All reported acts of bullying will be investigated and acted upon. The school expects all members of the school community to report incidences of bullying. Students should be able to trust and confide in teachers, administrators, siblings and parents, who in turn can help the student report the matter. The school understands that students are often afraid to report and will implement protective measures. The identity of the student who reports the incident of bullying will be protected during follow-up. PROCEDURES Depending on the nature and severity of the incident, reactive measures may include counseling, parent involvement and a full range of possible consequences including expulsion. In some cases, the school may be required to alert the proper legal authorities about the incident. For the purpose of this handbook, bullying and harassment do not include... the legitimate exercise of an individual’s supervisory or instructional authority the expression of complaints, whether orally or in writing, if communicated in a manner consistent with the intent of the guidelines above naturally occurring, occasional conflict, which is an inevitable part of social interaction.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS (FROM NIST HANDBOOK)

Student Responsibilities Take action if you witness bullying (tell the bully to stop, change the subject, get help) Tell an adult right away Be a positive role model Be aware of the anti-bullying statement and help promote it. Teachers Responsibilities Take reports of bullying seriously and give feedback to students on what they plan to do. Be aware of signs and symptoms of bullying and take action. Notify the Division Principal and Counselor, who will document the incidents and follow up.

Parent Responsibilities Attend parent education series to gain knowledge on how best to support your student. Inform the school when any bullying incident is reported by your child. Get advice and help from other parents, school counselors or other outside professionals.

School Leadership Responsibilities Provide professional development workshops for staff. Create opportunities for parents, teachers and students to attend workshops or informational sessions. Monitor incidents and initiate consequences.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

EXPECTATIONS OF STAFF WHEN OBSERVING AN INCIDENT OR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR ON CAMPUS Staff should always be aware of behavior by one person towards another that does not fit within the AISB code of conduct. This could be from parent to child, bodyguard or nanny to child, adult to adult, or student to another student. These incidents could include an individual yelling, screaming, berating another person or even hitting someone. Just as we have a duty to report, we also have a duty to intervene, but without placing ourselves at risk. Steps to intervention: 1.

Walk over and calmly ask if there is a problem.

Explain that the behavior is not appropriate for our campus.

Try to calm the situation and ask that they not leave until everyone is calm, and/or call for security or ask another adult to get security, especially if the situation cannot be diffused.

Report the incident to the counselor or administration immediately so they can follow up.

Safeguarding Education: All students at AISB receive safeguarding lessons. The lessons include living healthy lifestyles, making good choices, acquiring coping skills, developing self-advocacy and much more.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

In Elementary School: The Counselor does a variety of social-emotional lessons in each grade level. The Counselor does push-in lessons once every three weeks for each class.

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING GRADE LEVEL

TOPICS COVERED

• •

Personal Space Consent

• • •

Don’t Knows - Kinda Knows - Safe People/Adults Safe and Unsafe Touch Consent

• • • •

Don’t Knows - Kinda Knows - Safe People/Adults Safe and Unsafe Touch Consent Safe and Unsafe Secrets

• • • •

Don’t Knows - Kinda Knows - Safe People/Adults Safe and Unsafe Touch Consent Safe and Unsafe Secrets

• • • •

Don’t Knows - Kinda Knows - Safe People/Adults Safe and Unsafe Touch Consent Safe and Unsafe Secrets

• • • •

Self Awareness and Consent Safe and Unsafe Touch Safe and Unsafe Secrets ABC’s of Safety

• • •

Self-Awareness and Consent Safe and Unsafe Touch Safe and Unsafe Secrets

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Middle and High School: Middle School students have advisory class daily. At least two of those days are dedicated to social-emotional learning. High School students have advisory class once a week. This is their time for social-emotional lessons. Lessons are taught by advisory teachers with counselors pushing into advisories for specific topics like growth and development. The Middle and High School have developed a vertical 6-12 alignment of their social-emotional education On the next page is a chart showing the Health and Well-Being Advisory 6-12 alignment, which includes safeguarding education.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

GRADE LEVEL

Growth & Development (Science) Puberty, STIs, Sex-ed, Sexual identity Includes Child Protection

Healthy Relationships (Emotions) Consent, friendships, boundaries, open communication, abuse Includes Child Protection

G&D/Puberty - facts about human development and body changes for children, including information on normal childhood growth and development; very general overview of reproduction. Gender-separated groups • • • • •

G&D/Puberty - more detail, with new standards and skill-based focus. Focus on physical and socialemotional changes, especially in relation to influences on behavior. In advisory - four lessons genderseparated / two gender-mixed • Review grade 5 - hygiene, physical changes (body changes) - Deodorant, pimples, teasing, breasts, thighs, different people go through it at different times • Options for menstruation (pads, tampons, etc.). • If you’re curious about these changes, where do we get valuable information? What if a website pops up? How does where you get your info influence your brain/actions? Influence of internet, social media, porn, “social norms” (conversation led)

• •

• • • •

• •

•

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Healthy friendships What do you value in friends? Quality of friends vs. quantity Increase in influence of your friends / peer pressure Emotions - how physical changes affect emotions and relationships (including with parents) Upstander, bystander, bully Trusted networks - who are the people you trust if you’re having difficulties in your relationships? Who can you go to for help? - Use a relationship circle who are the people connected to you? Understanding that there are different types of abuse (physical, emotional) Emotions - how changes affect your emotions, relationships (and different types of relationships) Social media - how relationships are portrayed in the media, influence of media/internet, “social norms” What are your rights and responsibilities within a relationship? (right to be respected, you have to respect your partner too) Upstander, bystander, bully Trusted networks - who are the people you trust if you’re having difficulties in your relationships? Who can you go to for help? - Use something like a Lotus Diagram (see Felina for example). What reactions do people have to different types of abuse?

G&D/Reproductive system / relationships • Reproductive system - structure and function: Female reproductive system (ovaries, fallopian tubes, etc.); Male (testes, scrotum etc.). Basic overview of sexual intercourse. • Hormones and how they affect our bodies: roller coaster of emotions, wet dreams, erections, etc. Options for menstruation (pads, tampons, etc.). How can you be supportive of a friend dealing with any of this and help them feel less awkward? • If you’re curious about these changes, where do we get valuable information? What if a website pops up? How does where you get your info influence your brain/actions? Influence of internet, social media, porn, “social norms”

•

Emotions - how changes affect your emotions, relationships (and different types of relationships) Social media - how relationships are portrayed in the media, influence of media/internet, “social norms” What are your rights and responsibilities within a relationship? (right to be respected, you have to respect your partner too) Upstander, bystander, bully Trusted networks - who are the people you trust if you’re having difficulties in your relationships? Who can you go to for help? - Use something like a Lotus Diagram. What reactions do people have to different types of abuse?

• •

•

• • 8

• •

Scientific connection to reproductive parts as related to the science curriculum Sexual identity - gender, relationships, etc. Flirting vs. harassment? (see Felina for lesson); Connect to current events Pregnancy: effects (refer to Minty’s timeline activity)

Two lessons gender separate, two gender-mixed.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

• • •

• •

•

Healthy and unhealthy characteristics of relationships Consent What are your rights and responsibilities within a relationship? Types and use of power in relationships. What are some examples of positive (vs abuse of) power. Guilt, power, gender, pressure Upstander, bystander, bully Trusted networks - who are the people you trust if you’re having difficulties in your relationships? Who can you go to for help? - connected to “Legacy” what do you want people to remember about you? Abuse - reviewing types of abuse and reactions to it

•

• • • •

Science related (with support of the nurses): Sex ed - birth control (condoms, etc.), STIs (see Minty’s chlamydia game), HPV vaccination, etc. decision-making Healthy vs. unhealthy scenarios Postponing sex, what are other options? Social norms - most people are not having sex yet.

Three lessons in activity block (TWYN Fri) with smaller groups (mixed gender, two advisories at a time). Other lessons in PE class.

• • 10

• •

Decision-making, communication, healthy sexuality. Misconceptions around relationships and sexuality (gender identity). Connections to healthy living and lifestyle. Social norms - most people are not having sex yet.

•

Friendships and romantic relationships - skills and strategies Thinking ahead about your sexual health, consent, personal limits healthy relationships (including orientation) What are your rights and responsibilities within a relationship? Articulate the idea of abuse - physical/ emotional Trusted networks

• • •

•

• • • • •

• • 11

•

When you involve chemicals, how might this affect your decisionmaking ability? Date rape/assault - What do you do if you realize you’ve been drugged or taken advantage of?

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

• • • • •

What are your rights and responsibilities within an intimate relationship? Social construction of gender stereotypes Types and use of power, discrimination (positive use of power vs abuse of power), abuse Conflict and resolution strategies Trusted networks

•

12 •

•

Real life situations away from home. What’s your responsibility when you’re out and away from home? Have a buddy, communicate where you are. Setting a drink down, what if your roommate is passed out, who do you contact if you’re away from home? Street smarts - real life scenarios in an independent situation. Look up stats on the area where they are going to university - how many crimes have happened? What things might be a concern? What resources exist (e.g., blue phones on campus)?

• • • • • •

Skills and strategies for dealing with evolving relationships. What are your rights and responsibilities within an intimate relationship? Social construction of gender stereotypes Types and use of power, discrimination (positive use of power vs abuse of power), abuse Conflict and resolution strategies Trusted networks - use Lotus Diagram - what does this look like in university?

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Healthy Habits Eating, Sleeping, Exercise, Mindfulness, Resilience, Persistence (other dispositions)

GRADE LEVEL

Mental Health Anxiety, Depression, Self-injury, Substance Abuse, Coping Mechanisms

•

• 6

•

Needs vs. wants related to healthy habits How do you take care of yourself? How much sleep/exercise, etc. do you need? How are you getting that?

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

•

• • 7 • •

Science of healthy habits. What does science say about how much sleep/exercise, etc. a person needs at this age? Balance - how do you balance it all? How do you balance the amount of sleep you need with getting homework done, spending time with family, exercise, etc.? How do you balance eating habits when going out with friends? Demands are higher, how do you deal with stress that you might feel?

•

• • •

• •

• • 9

•

Balance - how do you balance it all? How do you balance the amount of sleep you need with getting homework done, spending time with family, exercise, etc.? How do you balance eating habits when going out with friends? Demands are higher, how do you deal with stress that you might feel?

Connections - holistic health: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual How do you balance all of the parts of your health? Planning for healthy habits. Making a plan for eating/sleeping/ exercise, Tracking these for a week. What environmental and social factors come into play when you’re making choices? Use this to help set up study schedules, etc.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

• • •

•

Coping mechanisms - breathing techniques, taking care of yourself. What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? Talking about the physical reaction your body has to mental/physical strain - things you feel when you’re uncomfortable; recognize signs that your body is sending you Everyone is different, people learn differently, people understand the world differently, people have different reactions. How do we support each other? (starting to address the stigma of mental health) Coping mechanisms - breathing techniques, taking care of yourself. What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? More detail on reactions to physical/ mental strain/stress What is anxiety, depression?; chemical imbalances that your body has in reaction to stress Everyone is different, people learn differently, people understand the world differently, people have different reactions. How do we support each other? (starting to address the stigma of mental health)

Coping mechanisms - focus on healthy coping mechanisms. What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? Warning signs and responses to mental health concerns - what are things to look/listen for in yourself and your friends? Where do you go for help?

•

• • •

Stress - physical and emotional factors that affect your choices and habits. Implications of your dietary/sleep/exercise choices and trends. Using life skills to respond to challenges involving substance use and peer pressure. What are some trends you’re seeing locally and globally?

Impact of disease on your health; health conditions (diabetes, etc.) and nutritional requirements. Look at current trends related to healthy lifestyles (as evidence for why we need to have a healthy lifestyle) - what are our sleep, exercise, nutritional needs at this age?

How do you create a plan for yourself to help make healthy decisions re eating, sleep, study schedule, etc. How will you manage this in university? Food plan? Who will cook? Building resilience and healthy decision-making. Using living skills and supports to make yourself less vulnerable.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

•

• •

• • •

Coping mechanisms - healthy (exercise, mindfulness, hobbies, sports, taking brain breaks, journaling, puzzles, etc.) and unhealthy (drugs, alcohol, cutting, eating disorders) What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? Addictions - unhealthy coping mechanisms can lead to addiction

Coping mechanisms - What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? What are some healthy outlets? Stigma around mental health - talk about real stats, about how many people have issues with it, take away the stigma

Coping mechanisms - being proactive and creating a plan - What healthy coping mechanisms do you have? In university where do you go? Who do you contact? What resources are available (in your language)? Looking out for peers/friends and yourself in uni year 1.

DRUG EDUCATION POLICY AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES 5.2.4 Board Drug Policy Tobacco, vaping, alcohol and illicit drug-free environment. The School is committed to establishing a safe and secure environment for students free from harmful substances. In order to protect the Student’s well-being, health, safety and welfare, the School does not tolerate the use, possession, purchase, and/or distribution of tobacco, vaping from e-cigarettes or similar device, alcohol and illicit drugs by Students, on the school premises, school-sponsored trips, field trips and school events. Drug Education: Toward this end, the School’s program will inform Students about those substances detrimental to the health and well-being of the individual, disruptive to the community and incompatible with the purpose and objectives of the School such as tobacco, vaping from e-cigarettes or similar devices, alcohol and illicit drugs. It will make Students aware of the consequences of their use upon both their mental and physical health as well as the legal consequences as defined by Hungarian law. Organization The Director shall ensure that all Middle School and High School Students and Parents are aware of the School Drug Policy and the consequences of breaching such policy as outlined in the Middle School and High School Division Handbooks. Parents and students shall indicate such awareness by signing a letter of acknowledgement. Each Principal is responsible for the application of the appropriate consequences for violation of the School Drug Policy. Appeals will be decided by the Director. Disciplinary There are times when Student choices in regards to tobacco, vaping from e-cigarettes or similar device, alcohol or illegal drugs that occur off-campus may negatively impact the Student’s well-being, in-school Student behavior, the School’s climate, the School’s ability to carry out its Mission or the School’s reputation. These instances may result in non-disciplinary and/or disciplinary actions at the discretion of the Administration. Hungarian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Laws Hungary has a single law to deal with all illegal drug related issues. Drinking and purchasing distilled liquor has a minimum age requirement of 18. Purchasing tobacco has a minimum age requirement of 18. The laws include use, distribution, and sale. The maximum penalty for illegal drug usage is two years prison and a criminal record. The penalty for the distribution and selling of illegal drugs is imprisonment between two and eight years. Appeals can be requested to enter a drug treatment program in lieu of prison: one who produces, acquires, or posses a small quantity of narcotic drugs for their own consumption will not be punished if they admits their act and verifies that they have been treated for drug addiction, or has been participating in drug rehabilitation or a preventive-consulting service relating to dependency for at least six months. Foreigners risk having their resident’s permit revoked and having the criminal record sent to their home country where there could be further punishment (e.g., loss of passport).

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES Elementary Procedures: page 18 Middle School Procedures: page 22 High School Procedures: pages 33-34 RECRUITING AISB works to ensure that all staff are of the highest level and a right fit for the job in which they are being hired. AISB uses search agencies such as ISS Schrole to review potential applicants and review their references. Further references are called, including current administration, and safeguarding questions are asked. VIRTUAL LEARNING Model responsible use Make sure to use your school device and follow all AISB policies for acceptable use. Do not use your personal email or accounts during distance learning Video Conferencing Be mindful of the background in your home which appears on screen.Keep private life private. • • • • •

Dress professionally. All online video conferencing should follow school guidelines. Distance learning expectations include appropriate student behavior, attire and background setting for video conferencing. All distance learning classes and conversations will be recorded The only exception will be 1:1 conversations with counselors, which will NOT be recorded. GDPR guidelines will be followed for the recording and storage of those recordings.

Monitor student comments Monitor any comments that students may make in chat rooms, or on other students’ work to ensure they are being respectful and kind. Responding to misuse or cyberbullying In the event that a student makes a poor choice online, depending on the severity of the incident, please consider the following responses: • Follow up directly with the student to discuss the incident, the impact of their choice, and how to make better choices in the future. • Get in touch with your Divisional Counselor and Administrator and share relevant information, including a screenshot if possible. Depending on the online platform used, remove any posted inappropriate comments or images. Well-being and Safeguarding Concerns If it comes to your attention through online learning that you are concerned about a student’s well-being or safety, or if you unexpectedly witness a safeguarding concern, please contact the student’s Counselor, Divisional Leadership, or the school’s Safeguarding Lead immediately with your concerns, if in the middle of your online class a safety concern becomes apparent. (Parents arguing in background, inappropriate behavior, etc.) The following steps can be taken: • Dismiss your class to work on an assignment offline. • Send the student where the safety concern is occurring to a breakout room. • Help the student stay calm and be there as a support. • While you are supporting the student, send a message, email, etc. to the grade level counselor.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Safeguarding Roles & Responsibilities Safeguarding Team (ST) The ST is responsible for implementation, monitoring, review and development of safeguarding at AISB: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Safeguarding Lead Hungarian National Safeguarding Representative Director of AISB Elementary Administrator Middle School Administrator High School Administrator Director of Athletics and Activities Head Nurse Elementary Counselor Middle School Counselor High School Counselor Elementary Staff Member Middle School Staff Member High School Staff Member

DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD (SL) The CSL reports to the Head of School and takes the administrative lead in coordinating the response to any child protection issues. It is understood throughout the school that this role will take time, which is built into the responsibilities of the designated lead. The designated lead is known to everyone in the school and the person is well connected with local services. Among other responsibilities, the SL will...

Promotes and champions child safeguarding in the school . Initiates the response to any safeguarding issues. Monitors the progress of each case to its conclusion if not directly involved. Convenes quarterly review meetings of the ST. Provides summaries of any child safeguarding issues, including data, training, budget and system recommendations to the SLT and Director. Ensures a confidential, centralized procedure exists for recording and reporting safeguarding issues. Manages the child protection case files for individual incidents. Works with HR Director to ensure that Safe Recruitment is followed by regular checks of the school’s single central recruitment record. 66

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

BOARD REPRESENTATION Board understanding about child safety is essential to provide top level oversight in the school and support the leadership team in funding and implementing the Safeguarding plan. The senior leadership team represents the board in matters of Safeguarding. The board will appoint a board safeguarding lead that will communicate with the director and school safeguarding leads. The director and safeguarding leads will keep the board informed on safeguarding policies, protocols and issues they need to know about. PARENT REPRESENTATION Parents are an essential partner with the school in promoting and celebrating safeguarding at the school and community expectations. The school communication and surveys with the parents help to guide and promote the safeguarding policies. In addition, AISB will be looking into parent representation with the safeguarding annual review and will also look into developing a parental focus group for safeguarding purposes. STUDENT REPRESENTATION Student representative groups (student council and other organizers) are important resources in raising awareness of safeguarding and advocacy. It is recognized that a great deal of awareness can be raised in the most appropriate way through the social-emotional educational program throughout the different school divisions. The AISB counseling team will look into student focus groups in an effort to gain valuable information to help guide safeguarding procedures and the social-emotional and safeguarding lessons.

MEETING AND REPORTING 1. The relevant individuals from the above roles will meet as needed to respond to a Safeguarding issue. 2. The ST from the above roles will meet quarterly to update on Safeguarding issues more broadly, as well as review practices, policies, procedures and communications. 3. Safeguarding incidents will be reported at each (weekly) SLT meeting. 4. Safeguarding incidents (number and nature) will be reported at each board meeting while maintaining the necessary confidentiality. 5. An annual review and development meeting will be held in April/May each year. 6. A Safeguarding summary will be included in the school’s annual report, and Safeguarding promoted through the Foundation Board and the school’s other communication channels (in process).

REVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS AISB and all CEESA schools make safeguarding a priority. In order to ensure that we are doing our best to proactively protect students and to ensure we take the most appropriate action should a case present itself, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is committed... To ensure renewed training for the Safeguarding Designated Lead every two years. To review policies and procedures each year in June to ensure AISB continues to implement best practices with regard to child safeguarding. To ensure that all members of staff understand their responsibility for contributing to the safety and protection of all children at school. To use training and audits to help guide the review and evaluation process.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Specifically, the review calls annually on the designated lead to bring to the attention of the SLT the following items for review: Safeguarding policies, including: -Annual (at minimum) training for Faculty and Staff about prevention and reporting -Code of conduct for employees and non-contract employees -Housing/Hosting policies -Chaperoning policies -Employment policies and safeguarding steps -Whistle-blowing policy Safeguarding curricula and student knowledge of how to report Risk identification and mitigation The review process itself to be reviewed every two years in light of the additional training afforded the Safeguarding lead.

Annually, after discussion and review, the above policies may be amended or updated. Faculty will be required to read, review and sign that they have understood the updated policy at the beginning of the new school year in August. The Board Chair is informed of any and all changes to the Child Protection policy. The Safeguarding Action Plan will be used to list and prioritize elements for the review and evaluation process. RECORDKEEPING The maintenance of records regarding child safeguarding and protection operates under the following principles: 1.

Records are kept separately from a child’s main record.

2. Records are secure and can only be accessed through the Safeguarding Lead or agreed personnel. 3. Confidential Safeguarding records cannot be accessed by staff without permission. 4. A confidential system is being developed to link anySafeguarding file and records to the child’s general record. 5. Safeguarding records will be shared with a subsequent school should a child leave the school. This should be through agreement with the parent (and if appropriate the child). Exceptions to this would be if disclosure may lead to further harm and if the action was in contradiction of legal requirements.

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

Child Safeguarding Training Level 1: Induction Training of All New Staff CS Code and Professional Code Speak-up procedure and process Scenarios around specific guidelines: -1:1 situations Specific contexts -Contact outside school and social media Level 2: Annual Refresher for All Staff Updates on any changes and information about local conditions Specific clarification or scenarios on areas of concern or increased relevance Level 3: Enhanced Training for Designated Focal Points or Specific Roles Communications Nurses, secretaries IT and systems managers regarding photos, online issues, etc. Risk assessments training to ensure an understanding of health and safety and CS risks, and how these are assessed Level 3: Managers and CSL Training (At least every 2-3 years) Administration of their role Understanding of local legislation Championing CS in the school through their roles

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

TRAINING OVERVIEW

TIME

PURPOSE

• •

AUGUST

• • •

ON START OF EMPLOYMENT

• •

• AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER

•

• APRIL/MAY

AS REQUIRED

•

Orientation Reviews and updates about any changes and procedures Signs code of conduct Induction Sign off on code of conduct

Induction Sign off on code of conduct

Reviews and updates about any changes and procedures Signs code of conduct Discuss and review all documents Discuss Changes and implement

Specific training or development of procedures

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK

RECIPIENTS

LED BY

•

Safeguarding

Lead All Faculty/ • Counselors Including New • Support staff • Coaching Staff Hungarian CSL • ECA Instructors

• • •

New Support staff New Coaching Staff New ECA Instructors

Hungarian SL

All Support Staff

•

Safeguarding

•

Team Operational Manager

Designated focal points and Safeguarding team

CONTENT

• • • • • •

• • •

Presentation and update Scenarios Codes of Conduct Overview Scenarios Codes of Conduct

Overview Scenarios Codes of Conduct

Hungarian SL

•

Safeguarding

•

Lead Hungarian Lead

Discussion and Review

RESOURCES A variety of resources were consulted and used to create this document. 1. NIST International School Child Safeguarding Policies Handbook - permission given by Brett Penny 2. Pechersk School International Child Protection Handbook -- Permission given by Felina Heart and Michele Basu 3. AISA Association of International schools in Africa 4. “Dealing with disclosures of abuse”, Child Matters: Educating to prevent child abuse. 5. “Responding to children and young persons disclosures of abuse” (2015). AIFS. 6. All current policies pages and handbooks for AISB 7. “Factsheet for schools: best practice for PE changing rooms”

Last review in 2022 February

CHILD PROTECTION HANDBOOK